In this Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016 photo, Pedro Reyes poses for a picture in a section of his installation called "Doomocracy" in New York. Reyes thinks American politics are pretty darn terrifying, especially this election year. So he’s created a large performance-based installation called “Doomocracy” or “The Haunted House of Political Horrors.” It opened Friday, Oct. 7 and runs through Nov. 6 at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

This evening Creative Time has a lot to celebrate. That’s because the art organization dedicated towards mounting works of public art is holding its fall gala that will honor artist Pedro Reyes and toast new executive director Justine Ludwig. The party, staged in Bushwick, will be designed by Alexandre de Betak, the namesake of creative firm Bureau Betak, food by Cosme, as well as custom cocktails by Maestro Dobel Tequila. I quizzed Reyes on his relationship with Creative Time, his practice, and what it was like to be a visiting artist at MIT.

How did the collaboration with Creative Time for the gala come about?

I’ve worked with Creative Time in the past on a few projects. In October 2016, I created Doomocracy, an immersive haunted house of horrors that marked the confluence of two events haunting the American cultural imagination: Halloween and the presidential election. I also participated in their Pledges of Allegiance project, where I created a flag of the pUN, the People’s United Nations, an experimental conference that applies tools and resources from social psychology, theater, art, and conflict resolution to geopolitics. I’m honored to be a part of Creative Time history. My experience with the organization has been one of the wildest, most exciting and thoughtful adventures I’ve ever had — an experience made possible by a group of committed and resourceful idealists who believe in the power of art to affect real change.

How have your studies in architecture informed your work?

Architects are meant to solve problems. And that’s something that I became, as I often expect artworks to play, to have a function. Within the years I have come to be able to do art for art’s sake because uselessness has a use in itself. If you know what I mean. Yet problem solving from architecture is something that I will ever be very fond of. And I am doing a few architecture works, like building my studio recently in Coyoacan, so I wouldn’t mind to have some commissions from the architecture side.

From photos it looks like your library is a centerpiece for your home. Why did you choose to design it that way?

I buy around a hundred or two hundred books every month, which means that I have to spend a lot of time rearranging the bookshelves. In fact, that process is where ideas come from. I move books to make space for the new books and then I remember about books I bought, which were connected with ideas, interests that I have, which means that I’m reminded about the contents of all these several hundreds of books everyday and that’s like putting a lot of ingredients in a soup, which becomes a very tasty soup, because there’s so many different ingredients, and so for me the library’s in reality one of my main tools of working.

You were a visiting artist at MIT? What did you learn from the experience? Did it transform your views of technology?

MIT was an amazing experience. Everyday is saturated with hundreds of encounters. And yet, one of the beautiful things about MIT is that they want people to think outside the box. In my case, to think outside the box meant to challenge the MIT mindset, which is to think that for whatever the problem is, technology is the answer. Actually, I think that there are many occasions and many problems in life where the answer relies on the absence of, like our answer is to take a break from technology. Education for instance — I think that computers may bring atrophy to the brain. Think of it. If you have a calculator, then your mathematics skills are weakened. If you have Google maps or Waze then you’re not going to need a mental map of the city in your head. If you use autocorrect then you don’t need to learn the rules of grammar. I would be interested in the results from research about what are the set of skills from kids that are exposed to technology — how they do compared to the ones that don’t have access to technology. And I have the hunch that people-- that the plasticity from kids’ brains that have less access to technology perform better.

A lot of your works are influenced by colonialism or politics like Doomocracy and Manufacturing Mischief. Why is it important to you to comment on the current situation at the moment?

To make a work of art is an opportunity to research and learn about a subject and I believe that we are all responsible for the current state of the world. Either by action or inaction we are responsible. But I’m not someone who likes to complain or to put blame. To put blame is not enough. You have to think on solutions. So that is why imagination has an important role in culture because we have a privileged position to bring — to have the work be sponsors of thought, to bring ideas to the table.

What is it with architects' fascination with Ayn Rand?

I hate Ayn Rand. I think she’s a totally toxic writer. And I think — and I wanted to mock her in my play. She has no currency in the academia. But yet her writings continue to be best sellers and her thoughts are very pervasive. So it was important for me — because there are a lot of people who are still confused — to explain why her mentality is wrong. Because this is the mentality that is behind Trump and the Republican party. But it’s also present in many other manifestations, which are satisfied with having individualism and greed justified by some pseudo philosophy. So fuck that.

How will your drawings play off the Brutalist-inspired decor by Bureau Betak?

Drawing is a way of thinking. From an early age, I realized that if you can draw it, you can make it. A drawing can be a stepping stone to make a sculpture. I’m like people who cannot explain — I’m one of those people who cannot explain themselves without grabbing a pen and paper. Also for me, portraits are a way of making an index of thinkers who have inspired me.

You just got the Design Visionary award with your wife. What is it like to work with your partner? How does her work and knowledge as a fashion designer inform your practice?

We give feedback to each other. And we like to work. We don’t collaborate but we help each other to realize each other’s project, but yet we get to make a lot of planning together on the environment we live in or family, et cetera. And I admire her very much because of her social commitment and talent. So I believe she’s way more radical than me, so I am always trying to keep up.

What's next for you?

My work is evolving in different directions, not just one. I continue to expand my sculpture practice as well as other projects that are from social practice. And both work ... growing diametrically opposite directions. All I hope for is to continue to be able to do what I do.

I’m a Brooklyn-based writer who covers everything under the lifestyle realm — mostly art and fashion, but also travel, beauty, design and food. I travel the world to discover how culture impacts people’s lives, whether through an art fair, a museum exhibition or an innovativ...